Coffee in Pula: Cafés, Croatian Coffee and Where to Sit
Cafés in Pula from the Forum to the old town, including Cafe Diana, Cvajner Gallery Cafe and Ulysses, plus what to order and how Croatian coffee terms work.
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Pula's coffee stops cluster around the Forum and the old town, and the most useful thing to know before you sit down is which café suits your purpose: a Forum terrace for the square's architecture, a central café for light meals, or a music-led venue for a later stop. This guide covers the cafés worth choosing and what to order.
Coffee in Pula: the short answer
Start on the Forum, where the café terraces face the Temple of Augustus and the Town Hall. Cafe Diana has held its spot there since 1973, and Cvajner Gallery Cafe sits in the heart of the historic centre. Near the Arch of the Sergii, Ulysses draws its identity from James Joyce, who taught in Pula in the early 20th century.
How you use a Pula café shapes where you go. A quick standing espreso suits a mid-morning break; a Forum terrace seat rewards a longer linger; and a café that serves sandwiches or light meals, such as Cvajner Gallery Cafe, doubles as a lunch stop. Think about which of those you want before you pick a table, because the Forum cafés are set up for sitting rather than rushing.
Where the cafés are: the Forum and the old town
The Forum is Pula's main square and the natural centre of its café life, with several venues facing the Temple of Augustus. Cafe Diana and Cvajner Gallery Cafe are both in the historic centre, so you can move between them on foot. If you are sorting out a morning start, see our guide to the best breakfast in Pula, which makes a coffee-and-pastry start easy to arrange. If you are weighing up a coffee stop elsewhere in Istria, our guide to the best cafes in Poreč sets out the same choice of terrace versus quiet side street.
The old town around the Forum is compact, so most of these cafés are within a few minutes of each other. That makes it practical to try one for a morning coffee and another later in the day without crossing the city. The trade-off is that the Forum terraces are the busiest and most visitor-facing seats in Pula, so pick a side street if you want quiet.
Café Diana on the Forum: a long-standing terrace
Cafe Diana has been part of the Forum since 1973, and its terrace looks across to the Town Hall and the Temple of Augustus. The interior is described as wood and marble, but the reason to choose it is the outdoor seating and the square itself. Order a coffee, take a seat facing the temples and use it as a base for watching the city.
This is the pick if you want the classic Pula café experience rather than a quick stop. It suits an unhurried morning or an afternoon pause when the square is at its liveliest. If you prefer somewhere less exposed, the old town's smaller cafés give you the same coffee without the full Forum audience.
Cvajner Gallery Cafe: light meals and coffee in the centre
Cvajner Gallery Cafe is a bright, airy spot in the heart of the historic centre, and it serves light meals and sandwiches alongside coffee. That makes it the one to choose when coffee is part of a bigger sit-down rather than a stand-alone break. It also offers wireless internet, which is useful if you want to linger over a second cup.
Pair a coffee here with something savoury if you are skipping a full lunch, or keep it simple with a pastry from a nearby bakery Pula visitors use for morning bread. The café's central position means you can fold it into a walk through the old town without a detour.
Ulysses: coffee beside the Arch of the Sergii
Ulysses takes its name and character from James Joyce, who worked in Pula as a teacher in the early 20th century. A statue of Joyce sits at the café entrance, and the Arch of the Sergii stands right outside. For a coffee with a literary footnote and a Roman landmark in one stop, this is the obvious choice.
Choose Ulysses if you want a coffee stop that comes with a story, or if you are already walking the old town's Roman route. It is a natural pause between the Forum and the arch, and the statue makes it easy to spot. Coffee here is about the setting as much as the cup.
Cafe Bar Bass: a relaxed stop with live music
Cafe Bar Bass is described as a comfortable, relaxed venue with attentive service and internet access. It also hosts live music, which sets it apart from the terrace cafés on the Forum. Pick it when you want a coffee in a more informal setting and are happy to stay a while.
For a very different music-led stop, Rock Caffe opened in 1994 and has hosted Croatian and foreign musicians on its stage. It runs live rock on Fridays and theme nights on Saturdays, so it suits an evening coffee rather than a quiet morning one. Both venues show that Pula's café culture stretches well beyond the midday espresso.
How to order coffee in Croatia: kava, bijela kava and espreso
The Croatian word for coffee is kava, and the default order in most cafés is an espreso, a short strong coffee served in a small cup. If you want milk, ask for bijela kava, which translates as white coffee and is the closest thing to a British-style milky coffee. A cappuccino or latte is also widely understood, but the local terms are the ones to learn.
Ordering is straightforward: take a seat and ask for kava or bijela kava. If you want a glass of water alongside, it is normal to ask for one.
What a Croatian macchiato means (and how it differs from an Italian one)
A Croatian macchiato, sometimes written makiato, is an espresso with a small amount of milk rather than a large milky drink. Do not confuse it with a British flat white or a cappuccino; if you want something long and milky, order a bijela kava. If you want the Italian-style dab of milk on an espresso, ask for an espreso with a drop of milk and expect a short, strong cup.
This distinction explains most of the confusion British visitors have with Croatian coffee menus. Knowing it means you can order confidently in any café, from the Forum terraces to the old town. It also makes a macchiato a sensible quick choice when you want something smaller than a full milky coffee.
Paying in euros at Pula's cafés
Prices vary by café and by whether you sit on a terrace or inside, so look at the menu before you order and check the price of what you choose.
For everyday supplies between café stops, our guide to supermarkets in Pula is a reliable fallback.
Coffee with a sea view around Pula
Pula's café life is anchored on the Forum and in the old town, so a sea-view coffee means walking out towards the harbour or the coast. The Forum cafés give you architecture rather than water, while a harbour-side bench and a takeaway coffee can be just as good. If you want a view, buy your coffee in town and walk to the water.
For a cold alternative on a warm day, the best ice cream Pula has to offer is a natural pairing with a walk along the waterfront. Coffee and ice cream together make a practical afternoon break when the Forum terraces are full. It is also a way to keep the café stop short if you are short on time.
Morning coffee versus an afternoon coffee stop
Mornings in Pula suit a quick espreso or a bijela kava with something baked, often picked up from a bakery on the way to the Forum. Cafés such as Cvajner Gallery Cafe work well then because they serve light meals and sandwiches alongside coffee. The Forum terraces at Cafe Diana are the obvious choice for a slower sit later in the day.
Evenings belong to the music-led venues, with Rock Caffe hosting live rock on Fridays and theme nights on Saturdays. Cafe Bar Bass also hosts live music, so it fits a later coffee. Matching the café to the time of day is the simplest way to get Pula's coffee culture right.
Which Pula café suits your day
If you want the classic Pula coffee moment, take a Forum terrace seat at Cafe Diana for the view of the Temple of Augustus. For coffee with a story, Ulysses by the Arch of the Sergii is the one to seek out. If you want something to eat with your cup, Cvajner Gallery Cafe covers light meals and sandwiches in the centre.
For a relaxed, music-led stop, Cafe Bar Bass and Rock Caffe show the more informal side of Pula's coffee scene. Whichever you choose, order a kava or a bijela kava and remember that a macchiato here is a small milk coffee. That is enough to drink well in Pula without guesswork. If your Istrian trip continues up the coast, our guide to the best cafés in Rovinj covers its sea-view terraces and old-town lanes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get coffee near the Forum in Pula?
Cafe Diana sits on the Forum itself, facing the Town Hall and the Temple of Augustus. Cvajner Gallery Cafe is in the historic centre nearby, and Ulysses is by the Arch of the Sergii. All are within a short walk of each other.
What should I order if I want a milky coffee in Pula?
Ask for a bijela kava, which means white coffee and is the closest thing to a British-style milky coffee. An espreso is the default short black coffee, and a Croatian macchiato is an espresso with only a small amount of milk rather than a large milky drink.
Sources
Notes on eating well in Croatia
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